Templates, rulers, and other similar devices are used to measure and guide marking and cutting tools over the surface of a workpiece. To ensure accuracy, it is necessary that the devices be firmly held in place with respect to the workpiece. Typically, such devices have smooth planar bottom surfaces that will lie flat on the workpiece to be marked or cut. These smooth surfaces have the disadvantage of allowing the devices to easily slip on the workpiece. Thus, a certain amount of force must be applied to a device to hold it in place on the workpiece. This frequency occurs on workpieces formed of or covered with a cloth or fabric material.
In quilting applications, where large measuring devices are used to measure and to guide marking and cutting tools on large pieces of fabric, it frequently becomes necessary to use both hands to hold the device in order to prevent it from slipping on the fabric. This makes it difficult for one person to measure or cut the fabric. Many times an individual will use a foot or knee to assist the one hand in applying pressure to the device in order to free the use of the other hand. This method is awkward and is not always feasible, such as in the case of handicapped persons or where the work surface is higher than the waist.
One method used to overcome these disadvantages involves placing a rough material, such as sandpaper, on the bottom surface of the device to grip the fabric. This method has proved to be unsuitable in operations involving multiple layers of fabric because the device will only hold the top layer of fabric and not prevent slipping of the top layer over the second layer of fabric. Consequently, the layers of fabric will tend to shift positions, resulting in an uneven measurement or cut among the layers. In addition, the application of material to a transparent device will interfere with the transparency of the device. Finally, many individuals will move their hand along the device to follow the tool as the hand applies pressure, resulting in only a portion of the measuring device being held. This tends to allow the material to bunch up or creep ahead of the tool, causing inaccuracy and unevenness in the mark or cut.